Hobby horse



Nov. 1, 1955 c. T. SMALL 2,722,418

HOBBY HORSE Filed Dec. 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l (2.45/6 7? Qj/Wd// C. T. SMALL HOBBY HORSE Nov. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1950 United States Patent HOBBY HORSE Chesley T. Small, Memphis, Metal Manufacturing Co., poratiou of Tennessee Tenn., assignor to Memphis Inc., Memphis, Tenn., a cor- My invention relates to a device adapted to simulate the movement of a trotting horse and the general object of the invention is to amuse the user and to provide for exercising the muscles, blood stream, and nerve system of the user in a manner similar to that obtained from horseback riding.

A more detailed object is to produce a reciprocating vertical movement of a body, on which the user may be seated, combined with a tilting movement resulting in the effect of a continuous forward motion.

Another object is to mount the body, provided with a motor having moving connections to the body, on a main stationary support with moving parts largely concealed in the body so that the mechanism will not be forced on the attention of the user.

Another object is to provide a simple but effective control of the motor readily actuated by a user without moving his hands from the position normally assumed when riding a horse and, preferably, embodied in a saddle part. The control embodies an elongated rotatable structure, the objects of which are to afford full flexibility and to avoid lost motion and backlash in the operation.

It is another object to include an eccentric counterbalance to offset the weight of the person using the device and reduce variations in the load on the motor.

The mechanism includes a motor and a reduction gearing, positioned below the body, and enclosed by a cover confining them and it is a further object to effectively cool the motor and gearing and the cover by a fan associated with the coupling between the gearing.

These and other detailed objects as will appear from the description below are attained by the structure shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of the device with portions sectioned vertically to better illustrate the mechanism.

Figures 2, 3, and 4 are detail horizontal sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view of the left hand end of the motor and associated parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top view, sectioned horizontally in part, of the structure shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a perspective of a detail of sitioning element.

The general structure includes a platform 1, a base 2, an upright support 3 and a body 4, simulating the body of a running horse and including a saddle-like portion 5 for mounting a rider or, preferably, a separate saddle S such as are in general use on live horses. Body 4, as shown in the drawings, is hollow and includes depending legs 6 and 7 extending forwardly and rearwardly to simulate a running horse. The body may correspond to that described and claimed in a copending application of the present inventor, filed November 16, 1950, Serial No. 196,001 and is mounted upon support 3 by a pair of substantially horizontal members 8, 9, the left a saddle-pohand ends of which are pivoted at 10 and 11 to support 3 and the right hand ends of which are pivoted at 12, 13 to body 4. Pivots 10, 11 are disaligned vertically, whereby upward movement of the body, by a pitman 14, will not only raise the body, but will tilt it forwardly, particularly saddle portion 5, from the solid line position shown in Figure 1 to the broken line position, thus giving the rider the eifect of transitory movement.

Pitman 14 is reciprocated by a variable speed motor 15 mounted on base 2 and coupled at 21 to a reduction gearing indicated generally by its box 16 and including a drive shaft 1'7 extending transversely of the motor shaft axis. An eccentric collar 18, fixed on shaft 17, has a crank pin 18a, to which the lower end of pitman 14 is connected. An eccentric counterbalance 19 is mounted on shaft 17 and is so disposed that the major portion of its mass is above the level of the shaft when crank pin 18a is at its lowermost point. Hence, the weight and the momentum of the counterbalance tend to offset the weight of the person seated on the body, resulting in smoother action of the device and relatively small variation in the load on the motor. With this drive shaft, collar, crank pin and counterbalance arrangement the parts are readily varied in size and stroke because they are produced independently of each other but they may be assembled as compactly as if the shaft, crank pin and counterbalance were one piece.

The transitory effect mentioned above is augmented by blocks R or rubber-like material mounting base 1. The tilting of body 4, the action of balance weight 19 and resulting alternate compression and expansion of blocks R accentuate the traveling sensation imparted to the rider. Also, blocks R tend to hold the device from moving along the floor.

A fan 20 is mounted on coupling 21 between the motor and the reduction gearing. A housing 22 snugly encloses the motor and reduction gearing and has apertures 23 in its opposite ends, thus forming a restricted passage for directing an air stream over the motor and reduction gearing, when the mechanism is operating, to avoid overheating of the motor and thinning of the reduction gearing lubricant and also for cooling the housing cover 24 which functions as a step for the user to mount the body. A flexible end 25 has its ends attached to pitman 14 and to top cover 24 and excludes dirt from housing 22.

The speed of the motor is changed in a well-known manner by shifting a variator in the motor which has a radial arm 31 (Figures 5, 6), the upper end of which slides in a pin 32 journaled in a bar 33 which has a trunnion 34 journaled on a bracket 35 on the motor housing. One end of a coupling 36 has a socket receiving the inner end of trunnion 34 to which it is secured by a set screw 34a. The other end of the coupling forms a sleeve which receives the lower end of a high pressure hose or tubing 37 comprising two strands of wires W extending helically of the tubing and transversely of each other in braided relation and embedded in rubber. The adjacent end of the tubing is fitted with a filler 37a and a pin P extends through the filler, the tube and the sleeve of coupling 36.

The tube extends through an anchoring grommet 38 in the housing cover 24 (Figure 1) and then upwardly through body 4 to a coupling 39 corresponding to coupling 36 and comprising a sleeve-like portion, receiving the upper end of tubing 37, and a socketed portion receiving the lower end of a rod 40 which is flattened for a set screw 40a (Figure 4) to fix the coupling and rod to each other. Coupling 39 is pinned to tube 37 and a filler therein, corresponding to the connection of coupling 36 to the lower end of the tubing. The high pressure hose or tubing with its ends received in rigid sleeves and provided with rigid fillers at its ends and pinned to the sleeves and pins, as best shown in Figure 6, forms a flexible control shaft which does not twist about its axis but may flex transversely of its axis to form a flexible drive free from lost motion in direct driving and from backlash when the direction of driving is reversed.

The upper end of rod 40 is secured to a shank 41 having a knob 42 at its upper end. Rod 40 and shank 41 are journaled in a collar 43 seated in body 4. A boss 44 (Figure 2) on shank 41 has a laterally projecting pin 45 disposed to engage stops 46 on collar 43 to limit rotation of shank 41, rod 40 and tubing 37 to approximately 90.

Saddle S is like the well-known western type, but has a recess where the usual pommel or horn would be and this recess receives shank 41, having a knob 42, and thus simulates the saddle horn. Accordingly, a rider may control the driving mechanism with a hand resting on the saddle horn, which is a natural position for a horseback rider.

Mounted on bracket 35 adjacent to the path of movement of arm 31 is a well-known type of snap switch including a spring arm carrying a roller 47 at its outer end in the path of movement of the inner end of pin 32.

With this construction, oscillation of knob 42 throughout the 90 arc of movement indicated in Figure 2, oscillates bar 33 and thereby shifts the motor speed control arm 31 between extreme right hand and left hand positions. When arm 31 and bar 33 are in the extreme right hand position, pin 32 engages a roller 47 to open the motor circuit controlled by the switch.

Preferably upright 3 is mounted in a rigid socket 2a in base 2 intermediate the ends of the base and at one side of coupling 21. Motor 15 is at one side of upright 3. Reduction gearing 16 and counterbalance 19 are at the other side of upright 3. A table 48 is supported from motor 15 and reduction gearing 16 and is a firm support for housing top plate 24 on which the rider will step in mounting the horse.

While pivots 10 and 11 may be permanently fixed on upright 3, preferably one pivot 11 may be shifted relative to the other to vary the movement of the body. Such shifting is effected by pivoting member 9 to upright 3 by means of a split sleeve 49 which may be clamped to support 3 by a bolt 50. Raising the sleeve on support 3 will result in the greater spacing of the arcs of movement A and B of pivots 12, 13 and the movement of body 4 will be more nearly a straight vertical reciprocation. Lowering sleeve 49 on support 3 will result in closer spacing of arcs A and B and will accentuate the forward tilting of the body. These variations are effected without changing the movement of pitman 14 and do not require any adjustment of crank pin 18.

As indicated above, it is preferable to place a saddle upon the horse but it may be desired to simulate bareback riding and accordingly the saddle is removable. While the body saddle portion is somewhat concave upwardly, as shown in Figure 1, to better seat a saddle S, saddle portion 5 is smoothly convex transversely of the body as is necessary to avoid discomfort to one who rides bareback. Since body 4 does not yield as does the body of a live horse, it is necessary to provide means in addition to the usual saddle cinch to hold the saddle in place. Such means is embodied in a block 51, Figure 8, secured to saddle portion 5 by a removable screw through its vertical hole 52. The upper edges 53 of the block side walls fit into the usual inverted V groove of the saddle tree and hold the saddle against twisting so long as the cinch is reasonably tight. If the saddle is removed by unfastening its cinch, block 51 may be removed readily by unscrewing its single fastening element. When in place, block 51 is not visible.

All of the above described features contribute to the eifectiveness of the device and its intended purpose, as set forth in the introductory portion of this specification, but these features may be changed substantially and some 4 of them may be omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described adapted to simulate the action of a trotting horse, a main stationary support, a rider-carrying body, a pair of substantially horizontal elongated members, one above the other, each having a pivot at one end to said support and at its other end to said body and forming a support for the latter, one pair of pivots at corresponding ends of the members being disaligned vertically and the other pair of pivots being in substantially vertical alignment, the pivots on the main support being adjustable relative to each other lengthwise of the main support to change the relation between the arcs of movement between the other pair of pivots.

2. In a device of the class described, a support, a rider-carrying body, a mechanism for moving said body on said support positioned within and below said body, and including a variable speed motor and having a variator device, and a control for the motor including a manually operable member mounted on said body, and an elongated tube comprising two layers of wires wound diagonally of the tube and transversely of each other and embedded in a tubular wall of rubber-like material, one end of said tube having a connection to the variator device and said other end of said tube having a connection to a terminal rotatable mounted on said body.

3. A device as described in claim 2 in which a grommet-like element surrounds the tube at a point spaced from the motor and substantially holds the motor connected end portion of the tube in a predetermined axial position.

4. A device as described in claim 2 in which the connection between the elongated tube and the rotatable terminal and the connection between the tube and the motor variator each comprises a rigid filler within the tube, a rigid sleeve surrounding the tube, and means atfixing the tube, filler, and sleeve to each other.

5. In a device of the class described, a support, a ridercarrying body, a mechanism for moving said body on said support including a variable speed electric motor with a speed adjusting arm extending from the motor housing, a snap switch controlling the motor circuit and including a spring arm movable to on and off position, a crank arm for shifting said speed adjusting arm and said switch spring arm and movable about a pivot in fixed relation to said housing, and an elongated control shaft with one end connected to said crank arm and its other end rotatably mounted on said body.

6. In a device of the class described, a support, a rider-carrying body movably mounted thereon, a motor spaced below said body, a crank shaft and pitman connection from said motor to said body, and a control for the motor comprising an elongated tube formed of two layers of wires wound diagonally of the tube and transversely of each other and embedded in a wall of rubberlike material, one end of said tube having a connection to the motor and the other end of said tube being rotatably mounted on said body.

'7. A device as described in claim 6 in which the connection between the elongated tube and the motor includes a rigid filler, within the end portion of the tube, and a part rigid with said filler extending from the tube and rotatable by manual rotation of the tube to control the motor.

8. In a device of the class described, a base, an upright on said base, a motor on said base at one side of said upright, a reduction gearing on said base at the other side of said upright, a crank shaft driven by said gearing, a pitman extending from said crank shaft alongside said upright, and a rider-carrying hollow body receiving the upper ends of said pitman and upright and pivotally mounted on the upper end of the latter and spaced above said base and motor and pivotally connected to said pitman, there being a housing for said motor and reduction gearing forming a step for the user to mount said body.

9. A device of the class described in claim 8 which includes a fan between the motor and reduction gearing and a housing for said motor and reduction gearing closely surrounding the same and forming a step for the user to mount to the body, there being openings in the opposite ends of the housing in line with the motor, fan and reduction gearing for channeling a stream of cooling air over the motor and reduction gearing.

10. In a device of the'class described, a base, an upright thereon, a rider-carrying body movably mounted on said upright, a motor mounted on said base, a crank drive shaft driven by said motor, a pitman connecting said drive shaft crank and said body, a counterbalance on said crank shaft opposite to the pitman, and a boxlike enclosure for said base, motor, crank shaft and counterbalance, with restricted openings in its upper wall for said upright and pitman, and forming a step for the user to mount the body.

11. In a device of the class described, a body including a part having the contour of a horse and adapted to mount a riding saddle having the usual tree of inverted V section, a block projecting upwardly from said part to engage the sides of the V section of the saddle tree to prevent the saddle from shifting transversely of the body, and readily removable means detachably securing the block to the body part to provide a smooth support for a rider when a saddle and the block are removed from the body.

12. In a device of the class described, a base, a motor mounted on said base, an elongated stationary upright fixed on said base, a rider-carrying hollow body receiving and laterally surrounding the upper end of said upright, elongated members extending laterally of said upright and enclosed within said body and each pivoted at one end directly to said upright and at its opposite end directly to said body, said members differing in length between their respective pivots, a crank shaft driven by said motor and having a crank pin, a pitman connected to said crank pin and directly connected to one of said elongated members within said body, and an eccentric counterbalance weight on the crank shaft opposite to said crank pin to offset the weight of a rider on the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,236,039 Baker Aug. 7, 1917 1,396,475 Tracy Nov. 8, 1921 1,671,162 Peters May 29, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,684 Great Britain 1886 

